Patna: The controversy over the temple 'shuddhikaran' (purification) in Madhubani district following CM Jitan Ram Manjhi's visit deepened on Monday with the CM reiterating his charges and quoting his minister about the incident on August 18.
The state government on Monday ordered an inquiry by the divisional commissioner and IG of police into the incident. The CM, a Mahadalit by caste, had visited Bhagwati Parmeshwari Devi temple at Andhrathari during electioneering in Rajnagar assembly byelection.
"I did not reveal this earlier because it would have been interpreted as politicizing the issue to take advantage in the byelection. But I was told about it not once but twice by mines and geology minister Ram Lakhan Ram Raman. I don't know why he is denying it now. But believe me, I never lie in my life," Manjhi told media on Monday. "Former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav was also aware of it and he telephoned me to confirm the incident. Yadav said he had been informed by over 200 people about it," Manjhi said.
Minutes after the CM's revelation on Sunday, Raman denied that he had ever told Manjhi about the temple purification and said the CM might have been misinformed and that he did not pass on any such information to him.
Vinod Singh, the JD (U) MLC from Madhubani district, immediately denied the charge, claiming that it was at the local people's request that the CM stopped at the temple and entered it for prayers. The CM was accorded full respect and dignity and people were quite pleased with his visit, he said and added that he stayed at the place for two days and no such thing happened there.
The temple's priest, Ashok Kumar Jha, has also denied the purification charge. He said they accorded full respect and honour to the CM. Jha claimed that as a matter of routine, the temple is cleaned early morning and late evening every day. The priest, who had conducted puja during Manjhi's visit, said he also presented him a book titled 'Ved Bhoomi Mithila Sanskriti Darshan'.
Rural development minister Nitish Mishra, who also belongs to Madhubani district, said the CM has been wrongly informed. He claimed the temple in question has no stone idols and has only 'pind' of clay and it could not be washed. Mishra said the temple is open for all, irrespective of caste and religion, and mentioned that during Manjhi's visit, JD (U) MLA from Gaura Bauram, Izhar Ahmad, was also present at the temple. "Never ever in the history of this temple anyone has been socially discriminated," he claimed.
State JD (U) president Bashistha Narain Singh said on Monday if the incident was true it was highly condemnable. "This is something beyond imagination. I will also prefer an inquiry by the party," he said.
Manjhi was so hurt that he made a reference of social discrimination on the basis of caste in his speech at London School of Economics last week saying Bihar still has a semi feudal society and his father, a bonded labourer, had been beaten up by the landlord when he had expressed desire to send his son (Manjhi) to school.
Unconvinced by the denials of his ministers and others, Manjhi lamented, "I am still being treated as untouchable. But when they (upper caste people) have work, they do not hesitate touching my feet. This is the stark reality the scheduled caste people should understand."
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